Bishop calls for betting machine limits

At present terminal users can wager up to £100 every 20 minutes on fixed-odds betting terminalsSimon Dawson/Bloomberg/Getty Images

The Church of England has stepped into the row over a proposed crackdown on addictive betting machines.

The Right Rev Alan Smith, the Bishop of St Albans, has written to Philip Hammond urging him not to block moves against fixed-odds betting terminals.

Ministers in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport want to limit the stakes on the machines, described by campaigners as the crack cocaine of gambling, to between £2 and £5. At present terminal users can wager up to £300 per minute.

The chancellor has warned that the restriction could leave a £400 million hole in tax revenues because of lost betting duty. Allies suggest he will block the crackdown unless the tax hole is plugged.